BRIDGE UTD have knocked Avenue Utd out of the Munster Junior Cup as the reigning league champions continue their struggle to get going this season.
Bridge Utd 1
Avenue Utd 0
Venue: Sixmilebridge
When they clashed in the Premier Division title-decider in the final game of the season back in May, Avenue Utd took the spoils. It has only been five months but a lot has changed in the interval with Bridge Utd the current form team advancing to the last thirty two in Munster.
Extra time looked likely for large spells of this Sunday morning fixture but the all-important goal came just before the hour mark and with it, Bridge Utd take the bragging rights while Avenue find themselves at a crossroads.
For the opening half, the best chances fell to Bridge Utd. Jack OโHalloran was caught offside on the half hour and a minute later Jamie Roche made a precision tackle as the pressure was mounting on the Avenue defence.
New striker Caleb Lategan had three brilliant opportunities in the first half, firing a one on one effort over the crossbar in the last attack. Sixmilebridgeโs side will need their main attacker to be more clinical as the weeks progress. The missed chances were proving frustration as evident by Scott Kirklandโs reaction after setting up his teammate on thirty four minutes.
Ryan Corcoran was a surprise omission from the Avenue Utd starting eleven after a lively showing against Ennis Dons in the Premier Division a week previous. He replaced Ger Myles at half-time and helped to create what was Avenueโs first real instance in testing Bridge netminder John Mulready on forty seven minutes.
They had the next three chances of the tie, Conor Finnucane putting a shot over followed by Jack Ryan and another effort from Corcoran, this one which was saved by Mulready.
Having withstood the pressure, Bridge Utd managed to break the deadlock on fifty seven minutes. Substitute Witness Odirile added a spark when introduced and it was fitting that he capitalised on an Avenue error to win possession and put Filip Mostowy through on goal, with his one on one effort he made no mistake in tucking the ball beyond Kuba Ruminowicz.
Striker Lategan had a chance to double their advantage but his shot was saved by Kuba and quick reactions from full-back Conor Hehir cleared the danger.
Desparately attempting to force extra time, Avenue Utd shuffled the deck with Nnabuike Nneji making his first appearance since a hamstring injury, prompting Dylan Casey to be moved back to defence and Hehir out to the right wing.
Deserving of their win, Bridge Utd are in the last thirty two of the provincial competition and overcoming Avenue Utd in a big game will stand to them. Mark Culbertโs side were the last Clare team standing in the Munster Junior Cup last season when they reached the quarter-finals and are eager to kick on inside the county and beyond it.
Adam Fitzpatrickโs addition to their team is a big plus, alongside Scott Kirkland they now have two players in the heart of their team who are composed on the ball and tend to make the right decisions. As ever, John Mulreadyโs value was demonstrated when he stepped up at the big moments.
For Bridge Utd it is a step in the right direction and a sign that they will overtake Avenue Utd this season but as they will have learned in their campaigns over the past two years, nothing is won in September and October.
Departures and transition have left Avenue Utd at a fork in the road, they appear to be stalling as opposed to progressing and are unsure as to what their best team and structure is. They got on top early in the second half when pumping the ball to the left wing to Conor Finnucane who was making inroads but suddenly stopped this approach and the amount of chances they created quickly dried up.
Quality players have exited their dressing room and they have not recovered from these losses. Avenue have had an appetite to win something big outside Clare but are slowly learning it is much easier to talk about winning a Munster or FAI than actually achieving it.
How Adrian Walsh and his charges keep Avenue focused between now and the start of the FAI Junior Cup which commences after Christmas will be fascinating to watch.
Bridge Utd: John Mulready, Darragh Whyte, Liam Buckley, Liam Flynn; Scott Kirkland, Kyle Kirby, Aidan Moloney, Adam Fitzpatrick, Jack OโHalloran; Filip Mostowy; Caleb Lategan.
Subs: Witness Odirile for Whyte (59), Dean Neary for Lategan (80), Leon Fitzpatrick for Mostowy (84), Brian Corry for Fitzpatrick (89).
Avenue Utd: Kuba Ruminowicz; Gary OโConnell, Conor Mullen, Jamie Roche, Conor Hehir; Dylan Casey, Eoghan Thynne, Jack Ryan, Conor Finnucane; Ronan Kerin, Ger Myles.
Subs: Ryan Corcoran for Myles (HT), Nnabuike Nneji for OโConnell (62), Seรกn OโCallaghan for Roche (70), Ryan Mahony for Hehir (74).
Referee: Paudie Hayes
All photographs by Joe Buckley
